


For King and Country

by extremelyperturbed



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Drama & Romance, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-04-30 03:43:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5149001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extremelyperturbed/pseuds/extremelyperturbed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to My Liege  http://archiveofourown.org/works/2219475/chapters/4867305  A medieval AU where King Will has proposed to Lady Beverly but worries that a certain neighboring king will disrupt the wedding ceremony.  However, he has come up with a plan with the help of Matthew, his magician.  Also I have anthromorphized Will's dogs into his lords.  </p><p>(May or may not be continued)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I congratulate you on your formal engagement,” said Lord Winston as he raised his goblet at King Will's banquet table. All the other revelers joined in his salute.

“I’m glad that everybody approves of this marriage,” said King Will. He had taken time to win the approval of each lord of his advisory circle before announcing it. “It is not a decision I took lightly and I had weighed the advantages of other matches. However, this match has the advantage that the lady in question has won my heart with her bravery, loyalty, intelligence, good humor and patience. Though she is from Crawford, she has declared that our kingdom is her new home and country.”

Everybody cheered and drank the wine. Lady Beverly was not a woman of vast means but she was no pauper and brought with her the allegiance of a group of knights who were respected and experienced. That she got along with his lords and his servants also boded well for their future together. She also did not have any unfortunate connections with undesirable nobles who would want to use her to gain influence over Will. 

“There is one person who is bound to disapprove, however,” said Matthew, Will's manservant.

“Who?”

“King Hannibal,” said Matthew.

“I wish you hadn’t mentioned him,” said Will.

“I’ll need another cup of wine after hearing that name,” said Brian, a fellow knight from Crawford that had decided to stay with Beverly in this country.

“Perhaps we could marry one of our ladies to him,” said James, another knight who had joined Brian.

“Do you have one in mind?” said Will.

“I nominate Countess Lounds. They so deserve each other.”

Almost everybody laughed or at least smiled at that quip, and the mood lifted. While an attractive lady, she was known for going well beyond the bounds of propriety. Lord Winston said, “Perhaps Lady Du Maurier of the Isle of the Vine would be a proper match.”

“They do seem to be quite similar,” said Will. “Though I think the king has a much more passionate nature.”

“Perhaps you should act as a go-between,” said Beverly.

Will barked a short laugh. “I would not dare take a step on his lands. I may not be able to return.”

“Should we invite him to the wedding?” said Brian.

Will sighed. “He would take it as a great insult if we did not. However, measures must be taken to avoid the wedding from being disrupted.”

“What measure shall we take?” said Baxter.

“I shall always have Matthew and Lady Beverly with me. I also plan to have a lord sleep in a room on each side of my bedroom.”

Lord Rex looked doubtful. “I really doubt that will dissuade him.”

Will smiled. “I have another strategy but I can’t disclose it without weakening it.”

***  
Beverly sighed when he told her his idea in the privacy of his library. Will had a spell built into its architecture so that nobody could hear them once the door was closed. “I can’t say that I much care for it even if it’s terribly clever.”

“I know that one does not dream of the day one exchanges vows in front of friends and family with a double but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think Hannibal is capable of doing anything to disrupt the ceremony.”

“The double must be extremely convincing.”

“I’ll introduce you to him.” Will opened the door. “Come in, Matthew.”

Matthew walked in, followed by a man who had a passing resemblance to Will though he was by no means identical. “This is Anthony Dimmond," said Matthew as his companion gave the king and his lady a bow.

Beverly frowned. “If I was walking by quickly, I might do a double take but Hannibal is a man known for his attention to detail. He won’t fool him for a second.”

Will smiled. “Matthew.”

Matthew began whispering a chant and Anthony soon looked the spitting image of Will.

“An illusion?” said Beverly.

“Yes,” said Will.

“I didn’t realize that Matthew was this high level a magician,” said Beverly.

“Will and I decided to keep that a secret between us. Having everybody else believe I’m only a manservant is an advantage. Also, my specialty is creating illusions, especially this kind of shadow,” said Matthew.

“It’s very convincing but how long can it last?”

“It can last as long as we need it to,” said Matthew. “The spell even makes his voice sound exactly like Will’s. Anthony is a stage actor so he can do an impersonation as long as it’s for a short time. Will is known for his unease with social gatherings so as long as we can keep interactions to a minimum, it should pass .”

“And what does Anthony get from it?” 

Anthony smiled and said, “If I do a good job, I get a title, some lands and an introduction to a lady fair I’ve had my eye on, a certain Lady Bedelia.”

“Ambitious,” said Beverly. 

“I am running some risk,” said Anthony. “If King Hannibal does not behave himself, he will be most displeased if he finds that he has been fooled.”

“I understand.”

Anthony turned to Will, who had been watching the exchange. “I must say that I understand why you are willing to risk his displeasure for her hand in marriage.”

“Save your flirting for the wedding ceremony,” said Will.


	2. Chapter 2

In the temple of the gods, King Jack raised an eyebrow upon seeing Duchess Mischa with her lady-in-waiting Chiyoh at the wedding. "I'm surprised you are here. I thought your brother disapproved of the match," said Jack.

"We were invited and it would be rude if one of us didn't attend," said Mischa. She was a much softer, younger female version of her brother with long light brown hair. "Where is your wife?"

"She is at home. In the autumn of our lives, she has unexpectedly become with child."

"Congratulations," said MIscha. 

Chiyoh said, "That is indeed good news." 

"I didn't want her to risk her health by traveling and I prefer she remain in the same palace as her doctor," Jack said. "I also didn't want her to become collateral damage in case there was any interruption of the ceremony."

"Collateral damage?" said Mischa.

"There were a surprising number of people disappointed that they were not chosen," said Jack. "His kingdom may be small but he still is a king. I would have loved to give him some friendly advice about marriage but his Lords have kept everyone away from him. He is said to be extremely nervous and concentrating on his vows. I have heard about your own prospects for marriage," said Jack. "I understand that you have been courted by Duke Chilton."

"Yes," said Mischa. "I have not yet made a choice. My brother, however, has made it very clear about how he feels about my suitor." The expression on her face made it very clear that Hannibal disapproved of the man. "Now let us sit before we are scolded."

They all went to their assigned seats and waited for the ceremony.

Will was seen accompanied by his Lords as he walked towards the temple priest. Once there, he looked around and seemed to smile nervously but without saying anything. He was dressed in his best clothes. Beverly began walking down the aisle in a dress with a long train and a crown of flowers. 

Mischa noticed that Chiyoh was squinting at Will. "What's wrong?" whispered Mischa.

Chiyoh waved her fingers. 

There was a flash of light that temporarily blinded everyone and then the light disappeared.

And that was when everybody gasped.

***

"I'm sorry that you are missing the wedding," said Lord Baxter as he sat next to Will. They were hiding in the deepest dungeon of the castle. Will was in a room that could only be opened from the inside.

"That's all right. What counts is the marriage afterwards."

"Hopefully, there will be no more of these interruptions. Once you two are sealed into marriage, the gods themselves will turn against any who would dare . . ."

Lord Baxter's statement was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. "Nobody is supposed to be down here." He pulled out his crossbow. He scowled when he sat that it was King Hannibal.

"This is off limits to any and all foreigners, even royalty," said Baxter.

"I am more than royalty," said Hannibal. He put his hand on the lock on the cell door and the door began to unlock. 

Baxter shot the crossbolt, only to have it stop in the air and fall to the ground. He pulled out his sword and stood in front of his king.

"Baxter, stand aside!" said Will.

"But . . ."

"Listen to your king, he's trying to save your life," said Hannibal.

***

"What is the meaning of this?" said Jack. The other guests were standing up and yelling as they realized that instead of King Will, there was a man who merely resembled him.

Anthony sighed and said, "Shall I explain, Lord Winston, or will you?"

"I will," said Lord Winston. He turned to the restive crowd. "We had reason to believe the ceremony would be interrupted by any means necessary. To keep our king safe, we had a double to perform instead of the King."

"Could I not simply go ahead with the ceremony?" said Antony. "I am most willing to kiss the bride in Will's place."

Mischa turned to Chiyoh and whispered, "Did you know about this?"

Chiyoh shrugged. "I suspected, I didn't know so I decided to find out."

"This was on my brother's orders."

"Yes." 

"Why? I order you to tell me why!"

Their conversation was interrupted. "I can not in good conscience go ahead with the ceremony," said the temple priest. "The King himself must stand before me . . ."

Lord Baxter ran into the room and whispered into Lord Winston's ear. Lord Winston said, "Do not worry, everything will be all right."

***

Hannibal smiled at the man sitting across from him in his carriage, his wrists and ankles in chains. His prisoner said, "What are you going to do to me? You know this is an act of war," he said.


	3. Chapter 3

"How can there be a war if there is one kingdom?" 

"My people will never accept you. I will never accept you. Our kingdoms will never be combined."

Hannibal felt smug because they were only a half hour's drive away from the ship hidden in a cover awaiting them and there was no sign of pursuit. He knew that they were probably just finding out that the real King had been taken and that the accusations and arguments would further slow down organization of rescuers.

"How did you know where I was?" said Will.

"I suspected that you anticipated that I would disrupt the wedding. So I sent my sister along with one of my spies to the wedding which left me free to search the castle at my leisure. I happen to have a very good nose and you have a very distinctive perfume. I was not surprised when your scene trail lead me not to where the carriages would be waiting to take everyone to the temple but to the most remote part of the castle."

"Once you tire of my refusal, are you going to kill me?"

"I will never be tired of you . . ."

"I don't plan to give you that opportunity."

***

"Everybody, come with me!" said Beverly as she ran out of the temple. 

Curious, everybody did so. They followed her to the beach where she stopped. 

"Are we waiting for a ship?" said Jack.

"No, not a ship," said Beverly. She cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. "Will!" 

From the water, a vast herd of seals swam to the surface and floating among them was a wet but smiling Will.

They moved toward the beach en masse towards the shallows so Will's feet could touch bottom. He slowly walked his way out of the water towards the wedding party.

The temple priest cried, "Only the true king could command the selkies' loyalty!"

Mischa turned to Chiyoh. "Well?"

Chiyoh frowned. "He's the true King. I do not know what's going on. We should leave now."

"What?" said MIscha before Chiyoh quickly knocked her out and hustled her away while everybody was busy watching Will embrace Beverly. 

"Quick, do the vows!" said Will to the temple priest. 

"Do you, Will of the House Graham, take Lady Beverly Katz to be your wife?" said the temple priest.

"I promise to cherish, to protect, to love."

"Do you, Lady Beverly Katz, take Will of the House Graham, as your husband?"

"I promise to cherish, to protect, to love."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the priest.

They kissed each other in front of the crowd. Will then turned to Winston and said, "Release the fireworks."

***

A guard sitting in Hannibal's carriage looked out the window after hearing dull explosions in the distance and said, "Sir, they are releasing fireworks at the palace."

"They'd only do that if the ceremony was completed!" said Hannibal. 

HIs prisoner began to laugh. He clicked his heels and the chains around his ankles fell off. He clapped his hands and the chains around his wrists fell off. He pushed the door open and jumped out of the carriage.

"Stop the carriage!" roared Hannibal.

The coach master pulled on the reins for the horses to stop. Impatient, Hannibal jumped out while the horses were slowing down. However, there was only a small pile of clothes on the ground where he had leapt from the vehicle and in the distance, there was a hawk flying towards the castle. 

***

In the castle's ballroom where everybody was either dancing or drinking, Lord Baxter looked completely flummoxed by this turn of events. "Will nobody take mercy on me and tell me what just happened?" he asked Will after Will had completed his dance with his new bride.

Will took his loyal follower aside. "I trust you and believe in you but you are an impulsive man whose tongue tends to be a trifle loose. Remember the bear hunt which left you with a souvenir on your back?"

Lord Baxter nodded glumly. 

Will decided not to mention Matthew's involvement in the matter. "I had another double besides Anthony. On top of that, he had on my underclothes which I had on the night before and had him sprayed with a scent that mimicked my smell. Hannibal is very famous for his ability to discern scent. 

Will continued, "However as Hannibal was not to be underestimated in terms of his magic and trickery, I hid among the selkie and they formed a ball around me and took me to a deep cavern, using the magic in their bodies to shield my presence from any discernment. They were only to bring me ashore when the traps had been sprung." 

Lord Baxter sighed. "I see." 

"Your loyalty is much appreciated," said Will. "Now go and dance and drink."

As Lord Baxter walked away, Beverly sidled up to Will and said, "A King's duty is endless."

"I promise that my duty will be endless tonight," said Will, raising his eyebrows in a frisky fashion.

"Naughty," said Beverly. 

***

"I hope you are satisfied!" snapped Mischa as she sat opposite her brother at their breakfast table. She and her brother were currently banned from any and all events in all the kingdoms that involved King Will. Since Will was invited to all of them even if he rarely went, they were not going to be traveling outside their kingdom for quite a while. 

"Mischa . . ." sighed Hannibal. 

"Now that you know that you were tricked by King Will and he's now married to Lady Beverly, I hope you have given up on winning him."

"Alas," said Hannibal. "I now desire him more than ever." 

Mischa said, "I shall choose Duke Chilton as my husband unless you swear to stop pursuing King Will."

"You wouldn't!"

"I shall write a letter to Frederick accepting his proposal this very day if you do not!" 

"Why must you break my already fractured heart?"

"Lady Chiyoh, my pen and paper!"

Chiyoh made sure to give her ink that would vanish within the hour.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had originally thought of taking the story into a much darker direction with Anthony fooling Hannibal only to be turned into heart BBQ, Will stolen then imprisoned and having Hannibal trying to change him into something. With Margot's spy network, Beverly and Matthew would sneak into Hannibal's country to get him back. Then Will would fear touching Beverly lest she give birth to a monster and Matthew would have to find a way to exorcise the malignant presence in Will's body. That would probably also mean a long-term continental war though. That seemed overly complicated, however.
> 
> Interfering with a royal marriage would also bring down the theoretical disapproval of the gods and the more corporeal disapproval of the temple priests. Not a guarantee since Hannibal cares less about that type of thing than others in this verse.


End file.
